She conjures holiday mood along and awakens dreams of tropical seas under the sun - like no other gemstone surrounds the coral their carrier with a touch of elegance and exoticism. Since more than nine millennia, people processed coral jewelery, and as long one uses it in many cultures as a talisman against demons, sinister powers, disease or lightning. This hoped-protective effect also arises from the custom, give little girls to coral chain as first jewelery.
Corals are like pearls of organic origin (Organogen), and both consist of more than 90% of calcium carbonate. These calcareous secreted by tiny marine polyps and formed into 3 to 300 meters depth to corals, reefs and atolls. An extremely slow process that began about 25 million years ago and the calcareous skeletons can often grow only a few millimeters per year. Corals form 20 to 40 cm high, tree- or bush-like sticks with branches and branches that can be very delicate, but can be up to 6 cm thick.
With a Mohs hardness 3-4 corals are very soft and thus indeed easy to process, but also quite sensitive. The surface is dull by nature and is replaced by polishing its silky sheen. Straight cut and polished coral are usually processed into cabochons or beads, rod-shaped pieces are cross drilled and mounted to chains. They last a lifetime, if they protect from heat and bright sunlight, fatty and oily substances as well as various cosmetics and hair spray keeps away from them.
Of the 2,500 species of coral just a few precious coral suitable for the production of high-quality jewelry. The most coveted and most valuable is the red Edelkoralle (Corallium rubrum). A distinction is made between the Mediterranean coral, to which the medium red Sardegna and delicate pink, laced with small white spots and veins angel skin coral count, and the South Pacific coral, which are found mainly to Japan and Taiwan. The most valuable of these occur within the Pacific coral is the Aka Coral (Corallium japonicum, also called Oxblood Coral), a coral with very intense, dark red and a distinctive luster. Other well-known types are the Moro Coral, a somewhat lighter version of Oxblood Coral, and the salmon-colored Momo Coral (Corallium elatius), whose branches are especially thick and in the middle of a white dot - the "soul" - have. From Australian waters which also lachsfarbene Midway Coral comes (Corallium secundum).
Other coral species are Corallium konjoi in the Western Pacific, a white coral of beguiling simplicity, the black king coral and blue and gold coral Organic Horn substance. For smaller budgets Schaumkorallenkette are an affordable alternative. They form the transition from Korallenfuß to coral Stock Moro Coral, but have a rough, porous surface and are therefore often sealed with colored resin and stabilized.
Coral is a valuable piece of nature that grows slowly and can not be artificially bred. Therefore, now there are many coral species under protection.
In reputable retailers offered coral jewelry comes exclusively from approved holdings.